Communication between autonomous vehicles and operations personnel

ABSTRACT

A mobile device having a communication system, one or more processors, and one or more memories. The communication system may be configured to communicate with a positional system. The one or more memories may store stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a signal from the positional system and generate a notification in response to the signal. The signal may be based upon a position of an autonomous vehicle and a position of the mobile device. The notification may be based upon the position of the autonomous vehicle and the position of the mobile device and identify a direction from which the autonomous vehicle approaches.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/588,141, filed on Sep. 30, 2019, entitled “COMMUNICATION BETWEENAUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND OPERATIONS PERSONNEL,” the content of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to communicating between autonomousvehicles and personnel and more particularly to determining locationsand paths of the autonomous vehicles and the personnel.

BACKGROUND

An autonomous vehicle is a motorized vehicle that can navigate without ahuman driver. An exemplary autonomous vehicle includes a plurality ofsensor systems, such as, but not limited to, a camera sensor system, alidar sensor system, a radar sensor system, amongst others, wherein theautonomous vehicle operates based upon sensor signals output by thesensor systems. Specifically, the sensor signals are provided to aninternal computing system in communication with the plurality of sensorsystems, wherein a processor executes instructions based upon the sensorsignals to control a mechanical system of the autonomous vehicle, suchas a vehicle propulsion system, a braking system, or a steering system.

When a vehicle is in an indoor facility, a location and path of thevehicle may be difficult to determine. Furthermore, in some facilities,there may be a high level of ambient noise and other distractions, whichmay affect personnel's attention and awareness. Similarly, in enclosedspaces and/or around corners, visibility and awareness of oncomingtraffic are significantly reduced. Thus, the vehicle may become a hazardfor personnel within the facility. Human drivers use their judgment andother senses to assess and determine when a path is safe to drive alongand when a portion of the path is more difficult to navigate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-recited and other advantages and features of the presenttechnology will become apparent by reference to specific implementationsillustrated in the appended drawings. A person of ordinary skill in theart will understand that these drawings only show some examples of thepresent technology and would not limit the scope of the presenttechnology to these examples. Furthermore, the skilled artisan willappreciate the principles of the present technology as described andexplained with additional specificity and detail through the use of theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an example environment having a personnel along a path ofan autonomous vehicle in accordance with some aspects of the presenttechnology;

FIG. 2 shows an example of an example system for operating an autonomousvehicle in accordance with some aspects of the present technology;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram that illustrates a process for communicatingbetween the autonomous vehicle and the personnel; in accordance withsome aspects of the present technology

FIG. 4 illustrates an example sequence of steps for communicatingbetween the autonomous vehicle and the personnel in accordance with someaspects of the present technology;

FIG. 5 shows an example of a system for implementing certain aspects ofthe present technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various examples of the present technology are discussed in detailbelow. While specific implementations are discussed, it should beunderstood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A personskilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components andconfigurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope ofthe present technology. In some instances, well-known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitatedescribing one or more aspects. Further, it is to be understood thatfunctionality that is described as being carried out by certain systemcomponents may be performed by more or fewer components than shown.

The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for an autonomousvehicle that can safely communicate with personnel indoors. While onesolution is contemplated to have autonomous vehicles move slowly, thisdisclosure also considers that through communication between theautonomous vehicle and the personnel, the autonomous vehicle may movemore efficiently while maintaining a high level of safety. Thus, thisdisclosure may result in a high throughput of traffic withoutsacrificing safety of the autonomous vehicles and the personnel.

In general, indoor facilities may be hazardous environments due to thehigh density of vehicles and personnel, enclosed spaces, sharp corners,etc. Because the autonomous vehicles lack a human driver to observehazards and make decisions, the various factors that make indoorfacilities into hazardous environments are exacerbated. In other words,it is challenging for the autonomous vehicle to safely and efficientlynavigate hazardous indoor environments.

Moreover, it is also challenging to detect, with a high degree offidelity and precision, the location of autonomous vehicles andpersonnel. More specifically, traditional global positioning services(GPS) may have weaker signal connections within walls. Thus, havinghighly accurate and precise locations of autonomous vehicles andpersonnel becomes significantly more difficult indoors.

Furthermore, there are challenges when the autonomous vehicle recognizesthat personnel is in the way. For a human driver, the solution is simplyto talk with the personnel. However, for an autonomous vehicle, thechallenge is far more complex due to the reduced interaction andcommunication with the personnel.

The high frequency and consistency of notifications is yet anotherchallenge for communicating between personnel and autonomous vehicles.When there is high frequency and consistency of notifications, personnelmay quickly become desensitized to these notifications.

Accordingly, there is a need for a solution that will allow anautonomous vehicle to communicate with personnel, while also maintainingsafety and efficiency in moving around the facility. Furthermore, thereis a need for a solution that will allow for the autonomous vehicle tocommunicate with personnel without the personnel becoming desensitizedto frequent and/or consistent communication.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment in which an autonomous vehicle102 is in an indoor facility having personnel 104. The autonomousvehicle 102 may communicate with beacons 162 that communicate with theautonomous vehicle 102 and a mobile device 106 that the personnel 104may carry.

The autonomous vehicle 102 travels along and has a path or trajectory p.When the autonomous vehicle 102 travels along the path p and personnel104 crosses the path, the personnel 104 may be in danger. Similarly, ifthe personnel 104 is within a threshold distance d, then the personnel104 may be in danger if the personnel 104 is unaware of the autonomousvehicle 102. As will be discussed in further detail below, the mobiledevice 106 may notify the personnel 104 with a notification 108 when thepersonnel 104 is within the threshold distance d and/or in the path p ofthe autonomous vehicle 102.

FIG. 1 further illustrates beacons 162 that are configured tocommunicate with and locate the autonomous vehicle 102 and the personnel104. More specifically, the beacons 162 communicate with and locate theautonomous vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106 of the personnel 104.In some embodiments, the beacons 162 may be configured or arranged inspecific locations so that multiple beacons 162 may simultaneouslycommunicate with and locate the autonomous vehicle 102 and/or the mobiledevice 106 of the personnel. While distance between the beacon 162 andthe autonomous vehicle 102 or the distance between the beacon 162 andthe mobile device 106 may be simply determined by the communicationbetween the respective parties, the specific position of the autonomousvehicle 102 and/or the mobile device 106 is a more complex task. Byconfiguring or arranging the beacons in specific locations, multiplebeacons 162 may simultaneously determine distances between the beacon162 and the autonomous vehicle 102 and/or the mobile device 106. Thus,by using these different distances, the beacons 162 may determine thespecific location of the autonomous vehicle 102 and/or the mobile device106. In other words, the beacons 162 may triangulate the location of theautonomous vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106.

In some embodiments, the beacons 162 may be configured to emit, receive,and/or otherwise communicate signals in specific directions. Forexample, some beacons 162 may be directional antennae that onlycommunicate electromagnetic waves in one general direction (e.g. West).As demonstrated in FIG. 1, the beacons 162 only communicate with theautonomous vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106, while anotherautonomous vehicle 102 a is not in the general direction for beacons 162to communicate with.

In some embodiments, the autonomous vehicle 102 may be configured to actas a beacon. More specifically, the autonomous vehicle 102 may have asensor system 204 that is configured to communicate with otherautonomous vehicles 102, mobile devices 106, and/or other beacons 162.Similarly, in some embodiments, the mobile device 106 is also configuredto act as a beacon.

Although depicted as a mobile phone, the mobile device 106 may have awide variety of different embodiments including, but not limited to,necklaces, watches, tablets, wristbands, etc. The mobile device 106 maybe configured with an audio system to audibly output the notification108. In some embodiments, the mobile device 106 may have a vibrationmotor to provide the notification haptically. Thus, the notification 108may be output to the personnel 104 in a wide variety of differentmethods including, but not limited to, audibly, haptically, visibly,etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates an environment that includes the autonomous vehicle102 in communication with a remote computing system 250.

The autonomous vehicle 102 can navigate about roadways without a humandriver based upon sensor signals output by sensor systems 204-206 of theautonomous vehicle 102. The autonomous vehicle 102 includes a pluralityof sensor systems 204-206 (a first sensor system 204 through an Nthsensor system 206). The sensor systems 204-206 are of different typesand are arranged about the autonomous vehicle 102. For example, thefirst sensor system 204 may be a camera sensor system, and the Nthsensor system 206 may be a lidar sensor system. Other exemplary sensorsystems include radar sensor systems, global positioning system (GPS)sensor systems, inertial measurement units (IMU), infrared sensorsystems, laser sensor systems, sonar sensor systems, and the like.

The autonomous vehicle 102 further includes several mechanical systemsthat are used to effectuate appropriate motion of the autonomous vehicle102. For instance, the mechanical systems can include but are notlimited to, a vehicle propulsion system 230, a braking system 232, and asteering system 234. The vehicle propulsion system 230 may include anelectric motor, an internal combustion engine, or both. The brakingsystem 232 can include an engine brake, brake pads, actuators, and/orany other suitable componentry that is configured to assist indecelerating the autonomous vehicle 102. The steering system 234includes suitable componentry that is configured to control thedirection of movement of the autonomous vehicle 102 during navigation.

The autonomous vehicle 102 further includes a safety system 236 that caninclude various lights and signal indicators, parking brake, airbags,etc. The autonomous vehicle 102 further includes a cabin system 238 thatcan include cabin temperature control systems, in-cabin entertainmentsystems, etc.

The autonomous vehicle 102 additionally comprises an internal computingsystem 210 that is in communication with the sensor systems 204-206 andthe systems 230, 232, 234, 236, and 238. The internal computing systemincludes at least one processor and at least one memory havingcomputer-executable instructions that are executed by the processor. Thecomputer-executable instructions can make up one or more servicesresponsible for controlling the autonomous vehicle 102, communicatingwith remote computing system 250, receiving inputs from passengers orhuman co-pilots, logging metrics regarding data collected by sensorsystems 204-206 and human co-pilots, etc.

The internal computing system 210 can include a control service 212 thatis configured to control the operation of the vehicle propulsion system230, the braking system 232, the steering system 234, the safety system236, and the cabin system 238. The control service 212 receives sensorsignals from the sensor systems 204-206 as well communicates with otherservices of the internal computing system 210 to effectuate operation ofthe autonomous vehicle 102. In some embodiments, control service 212 maycarry out operations in concert one or more other systems of autonomousvehicle 102.

The internal computing system 210 can also include a constraint service214 to facilitate safe propulsion of the autonomous vehicle 102. Theconstraint service 216 includes instructions for activating a constraintbased on a rule-based restriction upon operation of the autonomousvehicle 102. For example, the constraint may be a restriction uponnavigation that is activated in accordance with protocols configured toavoid occupying the same space as other objects, abide by traffic laws,circumvent avoidance areas, etc. In some embodiments, the constraintservice can be part of the control service 212.

The internal computing system 210 can also include a communicationservice 216. The communication service can include both software andhardware elements for transmitting and receiving signals from/to theremote computing system 250. The communication service 216 is configuredto transmit information wirelessly over a network, for example, throughan antenna array that provides personal cellular (long-term evolution(LTE), 3G, 5G, etc.) communication.

In some embodiments, one or more services of the internal computingsystem 210 are configured to send and receive communications to remotecomputing system 250 for such reasons as reporting data for training andevaluating machine learning algorithms, requesting assistance fromremoting computing system or a human operator via remote computingsystem 250, software service updates, ridesharing pickup and drop offinstructions etc.

The internal computing system 210 can also include a latency service218. The latency service 218 can utilize timestamps on communications toand from the remote computing system 250 to determine if a communicationhas been received from the remote computing system 250 in time to beuseful. For example, when a service of the internal computing system 210requests feedback from remote computing system 250 on a time-sensitiveprocess, the latency service 218 can determine if a response was timelyreceived from remote computing system 250 as information can quicklybecome too stale to be actionable. When the latency service 218determines that a response has not been received within a threshold, thelatency service 218 can enable other systems of autonomous vehicle 102or a passenger to make necessary decisions or to provide the neededfeedback.

The internal computing system 210 can also include a user interfaceservice 220 that can communicate with cabin system 238 in order toprovide information or receive information to a human co-pilot or humanpassenger. In some embodiments, a human co-pilot or human passenger maybe required to evaluate and override a constraint from constraintservice 214, or the human co-pilot or human passenger may wish toprovide an instruction to the autonomous vehicle 102 regardingdestinations, requested routes, or other requested operations.

As described above, the remote computing system 250 is configured tosend/receive a signal from the autonomous vehicle 140 regardingreporting data for training and evaluating machine learning algorithms,requesting assistance from remote computing system 250 or a humanoperator via the remote computing system 250, software service updates,rideshare pickup and drop off instructions, etc.

The remote computing system 250 includes an analysis service 252 that isconfigured to receive data from autonomous vehicle 102 and analyze thedata to train or evaluate machine learning algorithms for operating theautonomous vehicle 102. The analysis service 252 can also performanalysis pertaining to data associated with one or more errors orconstraints reported by autonomous vehicle 102.

The remote computing system 250 can also include a user interfaceservice 254 configured to present metrics, video, pictures, soundsreported from the autonomous vehicle 102 to an operator of remotecomputing system 250. User interface service 254 can further receiveinput instructions from an operator that can be sent to the autonomousvehicle 102.

The remote computing system 250 can also include an instruction service256 for sending instructions regarding the operation of the autonomousvehicle 102. For example, in response to an output of the analysisservice 252 or user interface service 254, instructions service 256 canprepare instructions to one or more services of the autonomous vehicle102 or a co-pilot or passenger of the autonomous vehicle 102.

The remote computing system 250 can also include a rideshare service 258configured to interact with ridesharing application 270 operating on(potential) passenger computing devices. The rideshare service 258 canreceive requests to be picked up or dropped off from passengerridesharing app 270 and can dispatch autonomous vehicle 102 for thetrip. The rideshare service 258 can also act as an intermediary betweenthe ridesharing app 270 and the autonomous vehicle wherein a passengermight provide instructions to the autonomous vehicle 102 to go around anobstacle, change routes, honk the horn, etc.

The remote computing system 250 can also include a positional service260 configured to determine the position of the autonomous vehicle 102and/or the position of the mobile device 106. The remote computingsystem 250 may communicate with beacons 162 to determine the position ofthe autonomous vehicle 102 and/or the mobile device 106. In someembodiments, the positional service is on the autonomous vehicle 102and/or the mobile device 106.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram for a navigation oversight process 300that the autonomous vehicle 102 may perform in an indoor environment orsituation.

The navigation oversight process 300 starts with the remote computingsystem 250 detecting 302 the position of the autonomous vehicle 102 andthe position of the mobile device 106. In some embodiments, thenavigation oversight process 300 starts with the remote computing system250 detecting 302 that the position of the autonomous vehicle 102 andthe mobile device 106 are in an indoor environment.

The remote computing system 250 then calculates 304 the path p of theautonomous vehicle 102 and the distance between the autonomous vehicle102 and the personnel 104. More specifically, the distance may becalculated 304 between the position of the autonomous vehicle 102 andthe position of the mobile device 106 of the personnel 104.

The remote computing system 250 then determines 306 if the mobile device106 and/or the personnel 104 is in the path p of the autonomous vehicle102. In some embodiments, the remote computing system 250 may determine306 if the distance between the mobile device 106 and the autonomousvehicle 102 is shorter than the threshold distance d. In other words,the computing system 350 may also determine 306 if the mobile device 106and/or the personnel 104 is within threshold distance d from theautonomous vehicle 102. If the computing system 350 determines 306 thatthe mobile device 106 and/or the personnel is not in the path p of theautonomous vehicle 102, then the remote computing system 250 returns tocalculating 304 the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102 and thedistance between the autonomous vehicle 102 and the personnel 104.

In some embodiments, the remote computing system 250 may determine boththat the mobile device 106 is within the path p of the autonomousvehicle 102 and within threshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle.In these embodiments, at least four scenarios become possible: 1) themobile device 106 is determined to be within the path p of theautonomous vehicle 102 and within threshold distance d from theautonomous vehicle 102; 2) the mobile device 106 is determined to bewithin the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102 and not within thresholddistance d from the autonomous vehicle 102; 3) the mobile device 106 isdetermined to not be within the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102 butis within threshold distance d of the autonomous vehicle 102; and 4) themobile device 106 is neither within the path p of the autonomous vehicle102 nor within threshold distance d of the autonomous vehicle 102. Insome embodiments, the remote computing system 250 may require only onethe above factors to be true for the navigation oversight process 300 tocontinue to the next step. Thus, in these embodiments, situations 1-3would all move to the next step, while situation 4 would result in theremote computing system 250 returning to calculating 304 the path p ofthe autonomous vehicle 102 and the distance between the autonomousvehicle 102 and the mobile device 106. In some embodiments, the remotecomputing system 250 may require both that the mobile device 106 iswithin the path p and within threshold distance d from the autonomousvehicle 102. Thus, in these embodiments, only situation 1 would move tothe next step, while situations 1-3 would result in the remote computingsystem 250 returning to calculating the path p and the distance betweenthe autonomous vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106.

In the next step, the remote computing system 250 has now determined 306that the mobile device 106 is within the path p of the autonomousvehicle 102 and/or within threshold distance d from the autonomousvehicle 102. In response to determining 306 the above, the remotecomputing system sends 308 a signal to the mobile device 106. The signalmay include information, such as the path p that the autonomous vehicle102 is travelling along, that the mobile device 106 is now within thethreshold distance d of the autonomous vehicle 102, a speed of theautonomous vehicle 102, an amount of time until the autonomous vehicle102 must stop for the personnel 104, etc. In some embodiments, thelocation of the autonomous vehicle 102 may be transmitted to the mobiledevice 106 based on an intent of where the autonomous vehicle 102 plansto go (i.e. path p).

The remote computing system 250 then causes the mobile device 106 tooutput 310 the notification 108 so that the personnel 104 may be awareof the notification 108. The notification 108 may include similarinformation as the signal above. In other words, the notification 108may inform the personnel 104 of a wide variety of information including,but not limited to, the path p, the position of the mobile device 106being within the threshold distance d of the autonomous vehicle 102, thespeed of the autonomous vehicle 102, etc. By sending the notification108 to the mobile device 106 of the specific personnel 104 in that pathp and/or within the threshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle102, other personnel 104 are not exposed to the notification 108. Thus,the other personnel are not de-sensitized to the notifications asrapidly.

The remote computing system 250 then receives and/or verifies 312acknowledgement of the notification 108. At this step, there are atleast four possible situations that may arise: 1) the personnel 104acknowledges the notification 108 and remains in the path p and/orwithin the threshold distance d the autonomous vehicle 102; 2) thepersonnel 104 does not acknowledge the notification 108 and remains inthe path p and/or within the threshold distance d from the autonomousvehicle 102; 3) the personnel 104 acknowledges the notification 108 andmoves out of the path p and/or away from the autonomous vehicle 102; and4) the personnel 104 does not acknowledge the notification 108 but movesout of the path p and/or away from the autonomous vehicle 102 anyways.To handle the wide variety of different scenarios here, the remotecomputing system 250 may proceed as follows.

After a threshold period of time, if the remote computing system 250 hasnot received and/or verified 312 acknowledgement of the notification108, then the remote computing system 250 determines 314 again whetherthe mobile device 106 is within the path p and/or within the thresholddistance d from the autonomous vehicle 102 as discussed above.

If the remote computing system 250 determines 314 that the mobile device106 is still within the path p and/or within the threshold distance dfrom the autonomous vehicle 102, then the remote computing system 250increases 316 an intensity of the notification 108. As discussed above,the intensity may be based on frequency, vibration strength, soundstrength, etc. For clarity, this is one embodiment to handle scenario 1as detailed above. The remote computing system 250 then returns toreceiving and/or verifying 312 acknowledgement of the notification 108.In some embodiments, the controls of the autonomous vehicle 102 may bemodified based on action or inaction from the personnel 104. Forexample, the autonomous vehicle 102 may honk or flash lights to alertpersonnel 104.

If the remote computing system 250 receives and/or verifies 312acknowledgement of the notification 108, the remote computing system 250determines 318 again whether the mobile device 106 is within the path pand/or within the threshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102as discussed above.

If the remote computing system 250 determines 318 that the mobile device106 is still within the path p and/or within the threshold distance dfrom the autonomous vehicle 102, then the remote computing system 250returns to causing the mobile device 106 to output the notification 108again. The re-issuing of the notification 108 is used to combat theeffects of de-sensitization and/or forgetfulness of the personnel 104.In other words, if the personnel 104 habitually acknowledgesnotifications 108 without enacting any other further action (e.g. movingout of the path p), then the personnel 104 will receive anothernotification 108, which will force the personnel 104 to check the mobiledevice 106 again. Furthermore, the notification 108 may includeinstructions to move out of the path p and/or away from the autonomousvehicle 102. Similarly, the notification 108 may provide more detailedinstructions upon reissuance. For clarity, this is one embodiment toaddress scenario 2 as detailed above. In some embodiments, the controlsof the autonomous vehicle 102 may be modified based on action orinaction from the personnel 104. For example, the autonomous vehicle 102may honk or flash lights to alert personnel 104.

In the two remaining scenarios, the remote computing system 250 haseither received and/or verified 312 acknowledgement of the notification108 or has not received and/or verified 312 acknowledgement of thenotification. Again, the remote computing system 250 determines 314, 318whether the mobile device 106 is still within the path p and/or withinthe threshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102. For these tworemaining scenarios, the remote computing system 250 determines 314, 318that the mobile device 106 is no longer within the path p and/or withinthe threshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102. In otherwords, the personnel 104 is no longer in danger. Thus, the autonomousvehicle 102 resumes 320 along the path p. The lack of increasing 316notification 108 strength and/or causing the mobile device 106 to output310 again the notification 108 may further combat de-sensitization tonotifications 108. Accordingly, when the personnel 104 is no longer indanger, the remote computing system 250 can remove the notification 108,so that the personnel 104 does not need to experience a high frequencyand/or intensity of notifications 108.

Although discussed above as the remote computing system 250 implementingthe navigation oversight process 300, it is understood that the above ismerely focusing on the remote computing system 250 for explanatorypurposes only. In other words, the autonomous vehicle 102 and the mobiledevice 106 may also be configured to implement the navigation oversightprocess 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example sequence of steps for a communicationprocess 400 that enables communication between the autonomous vehicle102 and the mobile device 106.

The communication process 400 begins when a positional system or apositional service 260 detects 405 a position of the autonomous vehicle102 and a position of the mobile device 106 of the personnel 104. Insome embodiments, the communication process 400 begins when thepositional service 260 detects the autonomous vehicle 102 and the mobiledevice 106 are indoors.

The positional system 260 then calculates 410 the path p of theautonomous vehicle 102 and/or the distance between the autonomousvehicle 102 and the mobile device 106.

Next, the positional system 260 determines 415 whether the mobile device106 is in the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102 and/or within thethreshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102. In someembodiments, the positional system 260 determines 415 whether thedistance between the autonomous vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106 isshorter than the threshold distance d.

When the positional system 260 determines 415 that the mobile device 106is in the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102 and/or within thethreshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102, the positionalsystem 260 sends 420 a signal to the mobile device 106 of the specificpersonnel 104 that is in the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102 and/orwithin the threshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102. Thesignal may indicate that the position of the mobile device is in thepath p of the autonomous vehicle 102 and/or within the thresholddistance d from the autonomous vehicle. The signal may be sent to theremote computing system 250, the mobile device 106 and/or the autonomousvehicle 102.

In some embodiments, the signal may cause a processor of the mobiledevice 106 to cause the mobile device 106 to output 425 the notification108. Upon receipt of the signal, the mobile device 106 may output 425the notification 108. More specifically, the processor of the mobiledevice 106 causes the mobile device 106 to output 425 the notification108. As discussed above, the notification 108 may be output 425 in avariety of different methods including, but not limited to, haptically,audibly, visibly, etc. In some embodiments, the notification 108 mayindicate that the position of the mobile device is in the path p of theautonomous vehicle 102 and/or the position of the within the thresholddistance d from the autonomous vehicle 102.

The processor may increase 430 an intensity of the notification 108based upon the distance between the position of the autonomous vehicle102 and the position of the mobile device 106. In other words, as theautonomous vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106 get closer, theintensity of the notification may be stronger. For example, as theautonomous vehicle 102 approaches the mobile device 106 that is in pathp, the notification 108 may vibrate more frequently or more strongly toinform the personnel 104 that the autonomous vehicle 102 is approaching.Similarly, the notification 108 may be configured to provide directionalinformation. For example, an audible notification 108 may be configuredwith an audio system (e.g. headphones that provide stereo audio) toinform the personnel 104 audibly from a direction similar to a similardirection from which the autonomous vehicle 102 approaches. As anotherexample, a necklace shaped mobile device 106 may vibrate along specificsegments of the mobile device 106 to inform the personnel hapticallyfrom the direction that the autonomous vehicle 102 is approaching from.Similarly, the mobile device 106 may have carrying vibration pulses orringtones to represent the autonomous vehicle 102 approaching fromdifferent areas of a facility. The autonomous vehicle 102 may alsomonitor decibels of facility noise and adjust its speed and thenotification 108 to an appropriate level of decibels, frequency, and/orintensity.

When the autonomous vehicle 102 is within a critical distance from themobile device 106, the autonomous vehicle 102 may stop 435 until thepersonnel 104 acknowledges the notification 108, is no longer in thepath p of the autonomous vehicle 102, and/or within a threshold distanced from the autonomous vehicle 102.

After the personnel 104 acknowledges the notification 108, is no longerin the path p of the autonomous vehicle 102, and/or no longer within athreshold distance d from the autonomous vehicle 102, the autonomousvehicle 102 resumes 440 its journey along the path p.

FIG. 5 shows an example of computing system 500, which can be forexample any computing device making up internal computing system 110,remote computing system 150, (potential) passenger device executingrideshare app 270, or any component thereof in which the components ofthe system are in communication with each other using connection 505.Connection 505 can be a physical connection via a bus, or a directconnection into processor 510, such as in a chipset architecture.Connection 505 can also be a virtual connection, networked connection,or logical connection.

In some embodiments, computing system 500 is a distributed system inwhich the functions described in this disclosure can be distributedwithin a datacenter, multiple data centers, a peer network, etc. In someembodiments, one or more of the described system components representsmany such components each performing some or all of the function forwhich the component is described. In some embodiments, the componentscan be physical or virtual devices.

Example system 500 includes at least one processing unit (CPU orprocessor) 510 and connection 505 that couples various system componentsincluding system memory 515, such as read-only memory (ROM) 520 andrandom access memory (RAM) 525 to processor 510. Computing system 500can include a cache of high-speed memory 512 connected directly with, inclose proximity to, or integrated as part of processor 510.

Processor 510 can include any general purpose processor and a hardwareservice or software service, such as services 532, 534, and 536 storedin storage device 530, configured to control processor 510 as well as aspecial-purpose processor where software instructions are incorporatedinto the actual processor design. Processor 510 may essentially be acompletely self-contained computing system, containing multiple cores orprocessors, a bus, memory controller, cache, etc. A multi-core processormay be symmetric or asymmetric.

To enable user interaction, computing system 500 includes an inputdevice 545, which can represent any number of input mechanisms, such asa microphone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture orgraphical input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech, etc. Computingsystem 500 can also include output device 535, which can be one or moreof a number of output mechanisms known to those of skill in the art. Insome instances, multimodal systems can enable a user to provide multipletypes of input/output to communicate with computing system 500.Computing system 500 can include communications interface 540, which cangenerally govern and manage the user input and system output. There isno restriction on operating on any particular hardware arrangement, andtherefore the basic features here may easily be substituted for improvedhardware or firmware arrangements as they are developed.

Storage device 530 can be a non-volatile memory device and can be a harddisk or other types of computer readable media which can store data thatare accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memorycards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks, cartridges,random access memories (RAMs), read-only memory (ROM), and/or somecombination of these devices.

The storage device 530 can include software services, servers, services,etc., that when the code that defines such software is executed by theprocessor 510, it causes the system to perform a function. In someembodiments, a hardware service that performs a particular function caninclude the software component stored in a computer-readable medium inconnection with the necessary hardware components, such as processor510, connection 505, output device 535, etc., to carry out the function.

For clarity of explanation, in some instances, the present technologymay be presented as including individual functional blocks includingfunctional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps orroutines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardwareand software.

Any of the steps, operations, functions, or processes described hereinmay be performed or implemented by a combination of hardware andsoftware services or services, alone or in combination with otherdevices. In some embodiments, a service can be software that resides inmemory of a client device and/or one or more servers of a contentmanagement system and perform one or more functions when a processorexecutes the software associated with the service. In some embodiments,a service is a program or a collection of programs that carry out aspecific function. In some embodiments, a service can be considered aserver. The memory can be a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, andmemories can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit streamand the like. However, when mentioned, non-transitory computer-readablestorage media expressly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals,electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.

Methods according to the above-described examples can be implementedusing computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwiseavailable from computer-readable media. Such instructions can comprise,for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purposeprocessing device to perform a certain function or group of functions.Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network.The executable computer instructions may be, for example, binaries,intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, orsource code. Examples of computer-readable media that may be used tostore instructions, information used, and/or information created duringmethods according to described examples include magnetic or opticaldisks, solid-state memory devices, flash memory, USB devices providedwith non-volatile memory, networked storage devices, and so on.

Devices implementing methods according to these disclosures can comprisehardware, firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety ofform factors. Typical examples of such form factors include servers,laptops, smartphones, small form factor personal computers, personaldigital assistants, and so on. The functionality described herein alsocan be embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality canalso be implemented on a circuit board among different chips ordifferent processes executing in a single device, by way of furtherexample.

The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computingresources for executing them, and other structures for supporting suchcomputing resources are means for providing the functions described inthese disclosures.

Although a variety of examples and other information was used to explainaspects within the scope of the appended claims, no limitation of theclaims should be implied based on particular features or arrangements insuch examples, as one of ordinary skill would be able to use theseexamples to derive a wide variety of implementations. Further andalthough some subject matter may have been described in languagespecific to examples of structural features and/or method steps, it isto be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claimsis not necessarily limited to these described features or acts. Forexample, such functionality can be distributed differently or performedin components other than those identified herein. Rather, the describedfeatures and steps are disclosed as examples of components of systemsand methods within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile device comprising: a communicationsystem configured to communicate with a positional system; one or moreprocessors; and one or more memories that stores computer-executableinstructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causethe one or more processors to: receive a signal from the positionalsystem, the signal based upon a position of an autonomous vehicle and aposition of the mobile device, wherein the signal identifies that theposition of the mobile device is in a path of the autonomous vehicle;responsive to receipt of the signal from the positional system, send, tothe autonomous vehicle, the position of the mobile device, wherein theposition of the mobile device is effective to cause the autonomousvehicle to stop; responsive to receipt of the signal from the positionalsystem, generate a notification, the notification based upon theposition of the autonomous vehicle and the position of the mobiledevice, wherein the notification further identifies a direction fromwhich the autonomous vehicle approaches; and send, to the positionalsystem, an updated position of the mobile device, the updated positioneffective to facilitate a determination that the mobile device is nolonger within the path of the autonomous vehicle and to permit theautonomous vehicle to resume traversing the path.
 2. The mobile deviceof claim 1, wherein the notification is a haptic notification andwherein the haptic notification indicates the direction from which theautonomous vehicle approaches.
 3. The mobile device of claim 1, whereinthe notification is an audible notification and wherein thecomputer-executable instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to: audibly output the audible notification in the directionfrom which the autonomous vehicle approaches.
 4. The mobile device ofclaim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a necklace, bracelet,watch, or wristband.
 5. The mobile device of claim 1, furthercomprising: a plurality of segments forming the mobile device, whereinthe computer-executable instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to: vibrate at least one segment of the plurality of segmentsof the mobile device based on the direction from which the autonomousvehicle approaches.
 6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein anintensity of the notification is selected based on a sensitivity of apersonnel.
 7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein thecomputer-executable instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to: remove the notification automatically in response to themobile device moving away from a path of the autonomous vehicle.
 8. Themobile device of claim 1, wherein at least one of a level of decibels,frequency, or intensity of the notification is adjusted based ondecibels of facility noise.
 9. A method comprising: receiving a signalfrom a positional system, the signal based upon a position of anautonomous vehicle and a position of a mobile device, wherein the signalidentifies that the position of the mobile device is in a path of theautonomous vehicle; responsive to the receipt of the signal from thepositional system, sending, to the autonomous vehicle, the position ofthe mobile device, wherein the position of the mobile device iseffective to cause the autonomous vehicle to stop; responsive to receiptof the signal from the positional system, generating a notification, thenotification based upon the position of the autonomous vehicle and theposition of the mobile device, wherein the notification furtheridentifies a direction from which the autonomous vehicle approaches; andsending, to the positional system, an updated position of the mobiledevice, the updated position effective to facilitate a determinationthat the mobile device that is no longer within the path of theautonomous vehicle and to permit the autonomous vehicle to resumetraversing the path.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notificationis a haptic notification and wherein the haptic notification indicatesthe direction from which the autonomous vehicle approaches.
 11. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the notification is an audible notificationand the method further comprising: audibly outputting the audiblenotification in the direction from which the autonomous vehicleapproaches.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is oneof a necklace, bracelet, watch, or wristband.
 13. The method of claim 9,wherein a plurality of segments forms the mobile device and the methodfurther comprising: vibrating at least one segment of the plurality ofsegments of the mobile device based on the direction from which theautonomous vehicle approaches.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein anintensity of the notification is selected based on a sensitivity of apersonnel.
 15. The method of claim 9, further comprising: removing thenotification automatically in response to the mobile device moving awayfrom a path of the autonomous vehicle.
 16. The method of claim 9,wherein at least one of a level of decibels, frequency, or intensity ofthe notification is adjusted based on decibels of facility noise.
 17. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that,when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or moreprocessors to: receive a signal from a positional system, the signalbased upon a position of an autonomous vehicle and a position of amobile device, wherein the signal identifies that the position of themobile device is in a path of the autonomous vehicle; responsive toreceipt of the signal from the positional system, send, to theautonomous vehicle, the position of the mobile device, wherein theposition of the mobile device is effective to cause the autonomousvehicle to stop; responsive to receipt of the signal from the positionalsystem, generate a notification, the notification based upon theposition of the autonomous vehicle and the position of the mobiledevice, wherein the notification further identifies a direction fromwhich the autonomous vehicle approaches; and send, to the positionalsystem, an updated position of the mobile device, the updated positioneffective to facilitate a determination that the mobile device is nolonger within the path of the autonomous vehicle and to permit theautonomous vehicle to resume traversing the path.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the notification is ahaptic notification and wherein the haptic notification indicates thedirection from which the autonomous vehicle approaches.
 19. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein thenotification is an audible notification and wherein the instructions,when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one ormore processors to: audibly output the audible notification in thedirection from which the autonomous vehicle approaches.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the mobiledevice is one of a necklace, bracelet, watch, or wristband.